Trio busted in RBZ exhibition fund email scam, facing money laundering charges
BULAWAYO – Three individuals have appeared before the Bulawayo Regional Court on charges of fraud and money laundering related to the theft of US$34,500 intended for the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s (RBZ) exhibition stand.
The accused allegedly hacked into a contractor’s email and diverted the funds.
The accused, Rubbie Chinanai (54), Ashel Chinanai (35), and Tichawanda Kevin Chinyande (31) are alleged to have conspired to defraud the RBZ.
The central bank had contracted Kutting Edge Events to build an exhibition stand for the Harare Agricultural Show for US$34,500, with the first payment to be made into the company’s Steward Bank account.
Prosecutors, however, allege the accused, along with accomplices still at large, compromised the contractor’s email system and changed the banking details.
Acting on the fraudulent instructions, the RBZ unwittingly made two payments of US$17,250 each. The first deposit was made on August 28, 2025, into Rubbie Chinanai’s Stanbic Bank account, followed by a second on September 2, 2025.
Investigations reveal the funds were then laundered through a series of transactions. Rubbie Chinanai allegedly transferred US$6,500 to Ashel Chinanai’s NMB account.
Another US$6,500 was withdrawn and sent via Mukuru to a contact in South Africa, Richard Nyadongo, with Ashel reportedly receiving a US$250 commission.
Ashel Chinanai is further accused of withdrawing US$6,500 from her NMB account and depositing it into Tichawanda Kevin Chinyande’s ZB account under the instructions of another fugitive, Arnold Kasasa.
The court granted bail with several conditions. Each of the accused was told to deposit US$150 as a recognisance, not interfere with witnesses, and remain at their given addresses.
In a special condition for Chinyande, he was ordered to surrender his passport to the Clerk of Court. All three are required to report to ZRP Bulawayo Central every Friday.
The case has been remanded to September 30, 2025.
The National Prosecuting Authority stated: “Cyber-enabled fraud and money laundering are growing threats that undermine trust in financial systems.
“Individuals and institutions must remain alert when conducting digital transactions, ‘those who abuse technology to siphon public funds will be prosecuted.”
